Book groups meet monthly at both Plainfield libraries. Anyone is welcome to join the discussions and books are available for check-out to anyone wishing to participate. Group members choose book selections with varying genres.
Monthly meeting times:
At Meriden Library, on the third Tuesday of each month at 2 pm.
Currently reading A River Runs Through It and Other Stories by Norman MaClean
At Philip Read Memorial Library, on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 pm.
Currently reading Hunter's Heart Ridge : A Mystery by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Cookbook Book Group is meeting on October 29, 2025, at 6:30 pm at the Philip Read Memorial Library. The cookbooks is The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health by Nancy Jenkins.
“An irresistible invitation to share the healthiest diet in the world. It has one alluring recipe after another, each one fragrant with the fresh aromas of the ingredients I love the most: fish right out of the water, ripe vegetables from open-air markets, herbs from the garden. This book makes an overwhelming argument that the things that taste the best are good for you.” —Alice Waters
Spanning the Mediterranean from Spain to France, Italy, and Greece, with side trips to Lebanon, Cyprus, and North Africa, this revised and updated edition of Nancy Harmon Jenkins’s acclaimed cookbook offers ninety-two mouthwatering new dishes plus the latest information about the nutritional benefits of one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. But best of all are the recipes—bursting with flavor, easy to prepare, and sure to please everyone at your table, whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or your friends.
Known for classic favorites like tabbouleh and ratatouille, flatbreads, pastas, zesty herbs, and flavorful oils pressed from succulent olives, the Mediterranean diet combines delicious taste with health-supportive ingredients as few other cuisines do. With an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, fish, lean meats, and heavenly desserts, here are recipes for over 250 outstanding dishes created for today’s American kitchens. You’ll also find new cooking techniques and a simplified approach to cooking—because simplicity is what the Mediterranean way of eating is all about.
Experienced and novice cooks alike will be inspired by these delectable, seasonally inspired recipes ranging from sweet young Roman-style peas for spring to skewered shrimp for summer, robust North African Pumpkin Soupwhen autumn is in the air, and warming winter dishes like Lebanese Garlicky Roast Chicken and Cypriote Braised Pork with Wine, Cinnamon, and Coriander—plus a variety of fabulous pizzas and dinner pies, hearty salads like Tuscan panzanella, and satisfying small dishes known as tapas. Also included is a special selection of traditional dishes prepared for Islamic, Jewish, and Christian holidays that can be enjoyed year round.
Rich in flavor and healthy nutrients but low in saturated fats and cholesterol, here are recipes that will delight your palate, nourish body and soul—and can be prepared with ease in your home kitchen.
The Libraries also support the East Plainfield Book Club & The Best Book Club Ever
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Contact:
Meriden Library
ill-meriden@plainfieldlibraries.org or 603-469-3252
Philip Read Memorial Library
ill-prml@plainfieldlibraries.org or 603-675-6866